There is so much to see in Budapest that one day is not enough to cover everything. Still, I realize that not every traveler has a lot of time, so you may find yourself with only one day in Budapest. If that’s the case, you’ll need to do some serious thinking about what is important to you. You’ll be able to see some of the highlights of Budapest, but you certainly won’t see it all.
That said, I still decided to put together this post for one day in Budapest. Just because you can’t see everything with one day, doesn’t mean you shouldn’t visit Budapest at all.
One Day in Budapest
As I started working on this post, I realized that it just wasn’t possible to narrow things down to just one itinerary. So instead, I’ve come up with three itineraries for one day in Budapest. You need to figure out which sights are most important to you and decide which itinerary fits your interests.
Option One
Option 1 for your one day in Budapest covers St. Stephen’s Basilica, the Hungarian Parliament, Castle Hill, and finishes with a soak at the Széchenyi Baths. It’s a great itinerary for a first visit that shows you some of the highlights without pushing for too much.
9:00 – St. Stephen’s Basilica
Start your day off at St. Stephen’s Basilica. It opens at 9:00 am, making it one of the first sights in Budapest to open its doors to visitors. So start here right at 9:00 and get a start on your one day in Budapest.
St. Stephen’s Basilica has one of my favorite building interiors in Budapest. Don’t get me wrong, the exterior is cool, but the interior makes it one of Budapest’s great sights. It’s beautifully decorated with gold and marble. While it’s dark inside, the spectacular interior is still visible.
You’ll buy your ticket in a shop nearby the Basilica (not at the Basilica itself). I didn’t purchase my ticket in advance, but since I got there as soon as it opened, I had no problems purchasing a ticket at the ticket office.
Check up to date prices and hours at the official website.
Just a reminder that the Basilica is closed on Sunday mornings for mass. Keep that in mind as you plan your trip.
9:30 – Parks & Squares
Take your time as you make your way to the Hungarian Parliament. Directly it’s only a 15 minute walk, but slow down to see some sights along the way.
Head slightly south and check out Elisabeth Park (Erzsébet Tér), named after Queen Elisabeth (Sisi). You’ll find an actual park, a large ferris wheel, and what appears business set up in a whole in the ground. This was eventually going to be the new National Theater, but plans changed after the foundation was already dug. Now it’s a parking garage and nightclub.
Work your way back north toward Parliament and along the way stroll through Liberty Square (Szabadság Tér). Believe it or not, you can find two statues of American presidents here (Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush).
So why are there statues of US Presidents in Hungary? Well, the statue of Ronald Reagan was erected as a way to try to appease U.S. officials in 2011 when the new Fidesz party took control of Hungary and started rolling back democratic reforms. The statue of George H.W. Bush was the first sitting U.S. President to visit Hungary (shortly before the collapse of the Soviet Union and the fall of the Iron Curtain).
Keep walking until you reach the Hungarian Parliament.
10:15 – Hungarian Parliament
Perhaps the most iconic sight in Budapest is the Parliament Building. The exterior is striking with its spiky tours and red dome. While it’s cool up close, we’ll get a much better view later in the day from the other side of the Danube River.
But seeing the building from the outside is only one way to experience it. For the full experience, take a tour to visit the interior of the building. Yes, it has to be a tour. A guided tour is the only way you’ll be able to visit the interior. Tours last 40 minutes and tickets can (and should!) be purchased online in advance.
Unfortunately I don’t have first hand experience in the tour of the Hungarian Parliament. Two weeks before my trip, I went online and all of the tickets were sold out for all three days I was in Budapest. So, the moral of my story is to book your tour tickets more than two weeks in advance. Otherwise, you’ll need to be content to just see the building from the outside (which isn’t terrible, but it’s not the same).
Check up to date prices and hours at the official website.
11:00 – Promenade and the Chain Bridge
From the Hungarian Parliament, we’ll start working our way down along the Danube River toward the Chain Bridge. While you could walk the streets, look for stairs that will lead you down to the river and walk along the Promenade. You’ll get excellent views of the Castle Hill area which is where we’re heading once we cross the bridge.
From here, you’ll be able to see Buda Castle, perched high on a hill toward the left. The spiky, white cathedral spire marks Matthias Church, which we’ll also visit. But for now, enjoy the walk along the river and promenade.
As you stroll along the river, keep an eye out for the Shoes on the Danube. This is a memorial for Jewish victims who were executed and left to fall straight into the river.
Keep walking until you reach the Chain Bridge, which was the first bridge to connect Buda with Pest. It gave people an easy and convenient way to cross between the two cities and allowed Budapest to become united as one. During World War II, as the Soviets closed in on Budapest, all of the bridges connecting Buda and Pest were destroyed. Obviously they were rebuilt after the war and Chain Bridge remains iconic to this day.
As you walk across the bridge, gaze up at the area you’ll be exploring soon.
12:00 – Castle Hill (including Matthias Church and Fisherman’s Bastian)
Head up Castle Hill. From the Chain Bridge, head to the left. Near the castle gardens (Várkert Bazár) look for some stairs heading up to the castle. Don’t worry though, it’s not a hike all the way up (unless you really want it to, but I don’t recommend it). From the top of the stairs, head right and look for an escalator that will take you up most of the way. Then at the top of the escalator, continue straight toward a rust covered canopy and take the elevator the rest of the way up.
Yes there’s a funicular that could take you up, but if you’re up for a bit of stairs (I promise it’s nothing too strenuous), save the money for the Matthias Church entry fee at the top of Castle Hill.
So what do you see in this area? Well first and foremost, take in the views from up here. You’ll get a great view looking back at Pest. Notice the difference in terrain. Pest looks downright flat, but over towards Buda, you’ll see that it sits at the base of the Hungarian Alps.
The Buda Castle Complex houses many museums and while you could stop in to the National Gallery or one of the many other museums, take a wander through and save your museum energy for some other sights. Work your way through the complex where you’ll eventually reach Matthias Church and Fisherman’s Bastian.
Matthias Church is one of the most important churches here in Budapest. While I think that St. Stephen’s Basilica had a more impressive interior, Matthias Church has a more fascinating history. This church is where Franz Josef was crowned King of the then Austrian-Hungarian Empire. The banners hanging in the church are still from his coronation.
Nearby is Fisherman’s Bastian which has a great view, including a great view of the Hungarian Parliament, but I don’t think it’s worth it. Sure you can pay to go up the steps, but why pay when you could go just a bit to the side and get a near identical view for free. I think the fee for Fisherman’s Bastian exists just to make extra money for the city. Sure you might get a few less tourists in your photos, but is that alone really worth it?
Tickets for both Fisherman’s Bastian and the Matthias Church can be found at a stand nearby, though there are separate lines for each sight. For Matthias Church, there’s a few different options, but I think that just doing the church interior is sufficient.
Check up to date prices for Matthias Church and hours at the official website.
Note that the Matthias Church typically has shorter hours on Sunday when it doesn’t open until 1:00 pm. Keep that in mind as you plan your trip.
2:30 – Parliament Viewpoint
Before you cross back over to the Pest side of Budapest, stop to take in a view of the Hungarian Parliament. Yes, you will have seen it from Castle Hill and Fisherman’s Bastian, but I recommend heading just a bit further up river. Find the Batthyány Ter station and walk toward the river for an incredible view.
When you’re done, hop on the metro to reach your next and final destination.
3:15 – Széchenyi Baths
It’s been a busy sightseeing day, so reward yourself with a soak in one of Budapest’s thermal hot springs. While there are other baths to enjoy, this is the most popular for tourists and once you see the building, it’s easy to see why.
Take your time and relax in the hot water before ending your night with dinner in Budapest.
Check up to date prices and hours at the official website.
Option Two
While at first glance, option 2 doesn’t look a lot different than option 1, there are a few differences. You’ll skip some of the parks and monuments by the Hungarian Parliament and instead head up Andrássy Út for the House of Terror and Hero’s Square in the afternoon. I think this is the busiest of my three itineraries, but I think it covers the most ground. So if you’re an ambitious traveler and up for a long, busy day, give this a try.
While I don’t want to play favorites because I think all of these itineraries are good, I think this is the itinerary I’d choose if I only had one day in Budapest.
9:00 – St. Stephen’s Basilica
Like with option one, start your day off at St. Stephen’s Basilica to tour one of Budapest’s great interiors. From there, head straight to the Hungarian Parliament. The Basilica and Parliament are close enough that you can walk and even with a 10:00 tour and a 9:00 visit to the Basilica, you should still have enough time. The Basilica is great, but I believe it can be visited in about 20-30 minutes, leaving you plenty of time to get to Parliament and take in a few views of the building.
10:00 – Hungarian Parliament
Book your tour in advance and tour the interior of the Hungarian Parliament. When you’re done, we’ll start making our way to Castle Hill.
11:00 – Promenade
Stroll along the promenade along the Danube River. As you stroll, keep an eye out for the Shoes on the Danube. This is a memorial for Jewish victims who were executed and left to fall straight into the river. Cross the Chain Bridge from Pest to Buda and head up to the Castle.
12:00 – Castle Hill
You’ll have just under two hours to explore the Castle Hill area. Visit the Matthias Church and take in the views of Pest (and Parliament) from Fisherman’s Bastian. Remember, save your money at Fisherman’s Bastian and look for the free views just a few steps away.
When you’re ready, catch a bus or metro to the House of Terror along Andrássy Út. You’ll know you’ve arrived when you reach a building with an overhang from the roof reading out “TERROR”.
2:00 – House of Terror
Here’s one of our major deviations from the first itinerary (apart from skipping some parks earlier in the day). So let’s talk about the House of Terror Museum.
This museum tells the story of Nazi Occupation in Hungary and how it transitioned into Soviet Occupation. It’s not a light sightseeing stop as the museum does not shy away from discussing the atrocities committed by each regime. But it does offer a great look into history.
Note that in order to get the most out of the museum you need to have a guide of some sort. Without one, the displays don’t have much meaning. You can either purchase the separate audioguide from the museum or look into picking up a guidebook that includes one. I like using the Rick Steves guidebooks for his self guided walking tours and his Budapest guidebook includes a good guide to the museum.
Allow yourself anywhere from one to three hours. From what I understand, if you use the museum’s provided audioguide, you’ll likely take longer. With the Rick Steves guide I followed, I finished in about an hour and a half and still felt like I got a lot out of the museum. So, depending on how fast you go through the museum, you may need to adjust the rest of your day.
Entrance to the museum is 4000 HUF, with the audioguide costing extra. While I had no problem walking up and purchasing my ticket the day of, during popular travel times, you may want to consider booking your ticket in advance.
Check up to date prices and hours at the official website.
4:00 – Hero’s Square & City Park
At the end of Andrássy Út is Hero’s Square and the park that sits right behind it. Hero’s Square holds numerous statues. The center seven are the founders of Budapest, descendants from Central Asia. Then on the semi circle behind them, you’ll find 12 statues of important historical figures of Hungary.
Sandwiching the square are two museums, the Hall of Art (Műcsarnok) and the Museum of Fine Arts (Szépművészeti Múzeum). But it’s been a busy sightseeing day and we’re done with museums. Head back into the park and enjoy a stroll. As you wander, keep an eye out for the statue of George Washington.
Keep strolling until you reach Vajdahunyad Castle. This was originally built with so many of the other fantastic buildings in 1896, but was torn down. However, locals liked it so much that it was built back and it remains here for this day. It’s free to wander through the exterior and this fanciful castle definitely deserves a wander. It’s incredibly photogenic so snap a few shots while you’re here.
5:00 – Széchenyi Baths
Like with the first itinerary, it was a busy day and you deserve a treat. End your day with a soak at the Széchenyi Baths.
Option Three (For Budget Travelers)
Depending on the sights you choose, Budapest can be an expensive place to visit. While my first two itineraries included several of the top sights, they are also more expensive. So, I put together one more itinerary that’s more budget traveler focused. You’ll have the option to go into some sights (notably St. Stephen’s Basilica and Matthias Church), but they are completely optional. Everything else on this itinerary is free, so you’ll just have to pay for food, accommodation, and public transportation for your one day in Budapest.
9:00 – St. Stephen’s Basilica, Hungarian Parliament, & Nearby Parks
Like with my other itineraries for one day in Budapest, start at St. Stephen’s Basilica. It’s up to you if you want to pay to go in, but since this is a budget itinerary, I’m guessing that the answer is no.
Even if you don’t go in to St. Stephen’s Basilica, you should still take in the building from the outside. From here, wander through the parks and over to the Hungarian Parliament. Take in the views (we’ll get a better one later) before heading to the river.
10:00 – Promenade
Stroll along the promenade along the Danube River as you make your way to the Chain Bridge. Like with the other itineraries, keep an eye out for the Shoes on the Danube Memorial. Cross the Chain Bridge to get to Pest and make your way up Castle Hill.
11:00 – Castle Hill
Since this is a budget itinerary, it’s unlikely you’ll pay to go into any of the sights at Castle Hill, so I’ve given you less time here. That said, I still absolutely believe that it’s worth coming over to Buda and exploring this area. Get up close to Matthias Church and take in the views from nearby Fisherman’s Bastian.
12:30 – Parliament View
Before crossing back over to Pest, stop down along the river for a fantastic view of Parliament.
1:00 – Andrássy Út
While Paris has the Champs Elleys, Budapest has Andrássy Út. This follows a straight line all the way to Hero’s Square (which is where we want to end later). Along the way, gaze up at the intricately detailed buildings. As you walk, you’ll also pass by numerous fancy shops. Don’t forget to keep an eye out for the Hungarian Opera House. In my opinion, it’s just as impressive as Vienna’s.
If you’ve passed many people eating their Chimney Cakes or “kürtőskalács“ and considered getting one yourself, there’s a stand near the intersection of Andrássy Út and Teréz Krt. You’ll likely smell it before you reach it. I found this stand to have some of the best prices since they don’t mess with all of the extra toppings (these toppings are what causes the price to soar). I paid just 1200 HUF for a hot cinnamon sugar covered Chimney Cake that was delicious.
1:45 – Hero’s Square & City Park
You’ll eventually reach Hero’s Square which has even more statues. Just beyond the square is city park with is worth a wander, especially if you swing by Vajdahunyad Castle. The Széchenyi Baths sit at the back of the park, but instead, we’re going to head somewhere else entirely. When you’re done, hop on public transportation to the Great Market Hall.
2:30 – Great Market Hall
The Great Market Hall, or Central Market Hall, is a one stop shop for fresh produce, meats, and so many other goodies. While many locals still come here for their fruits and veggies, it’s now also a big tourist attraction. As you enter, take in just how big the place is. Also notice that the floor feels slightly angled. To the left, or on the downhill slope, you’ll find a more local vibe with plenty of Hungarians looking for their produce.
Down the middle aisle and all along the second floor, you’ll find all sorts of tourist souvenirs. Many are so similar to what you’d find in the city, but it can be fun to browse and even purchase here for the experience. You’ll also find some food stalls on the top level, but from what I saw, it mostly seemed to be tourists.
Take a stroll and explore the market.
Check up to date hours at the official website.
3:30 – Jewish Quarter
Finish your day in the Jewish Quarter. You’ll be able to see the largest synagogue in Europe (and the second largest in the world), though going inside is not cheap. Take in the views from the outside instead. From there, take some time to explore the Jewish Quarter of Budapest. What was once an area where Jews were forced to live is being revitalized by restaurants, bars, and shops. Take a wander through here and notice how different this area feels. It’s not as grand or magnificent as some of the other parts of the city and areas feel like they are in ruins. Yet despite that, the area is being revitalized and the contrast is interesting.
From here, the rest of the day is yours. Grab something to eat and relax after a busy day in Budapest.
Is One Day in Budapest Enough?
If you have more time in your itinerary, I’d absolutely recommend adding it to Budapest. I spent two and a half days in Budapest and feel like I barely scratched the surface of what this city has to offer. If you only have one day to spend in Budapest, you’ll have to pick and choose what you see and there’s a lot to pick from.
So while you could visit Budapest in just one day, I highly recommend giving it more time if you can spare it.
With More Time
With two days in Budapest, you can cover what I’d consider most of the highlights of this city. It’ll still be a busy two days in Budapest, but you’ll be able to see more and likely will leave feeling more satisfied with your visit.
With three days in Budapest, you have the ability to move just a little slower and to savor the sights. Of course you can add on an extra museum or two, but also enjoy some time in the cafes and relaxing.
With four days in Budapest, venture a bit outside the city for something a little different. Szentendre is probably the most popular option with trains taking visitors to a small, artsy town. Gödöllő is also nearby and was the Hungarian Palace for the Hapsburgs.
Getting Around Budapest
Budapest sprawls. Since for much of its early history, Budapest was two separate cities (Buda and Pest), there isn’t one compact historical downtown like you might find in other European cities. So while it’s possible to walk most places (I did more than my fair share of walking), utilize public transportation to help you get around.
I’ve written an entire guide for using public transportation in Budapest just because I found it to be more complicated than many other cities I’ve visited in Europe. But my big piece of advice is to just buy a 24 hour pass and use the buses, trams, and metros as needed. It saves a lot of headaches, planning, and stress.
Getting to Budapest
Budapest is well connected with many other cities in Central Europe. Popular connections include
Budapest to Vienna, Austria – 2 hours 30 minutes by train
Budapest to Bratislava, Slovakia – 2 hours 30 minutes by train
Budapest to Brno, Czech Republic – 4 hours by train
Budapest to Prague, Czech Republic – 7 hours by train – consider stopping in some other cities along the way to break up the journey
Budapest to Ljubljana, Slovenia – 6 hours by bus
When to Visit Budapest
Budapest can be visited all year round, but some seasons are better than others. Peak tourism is summer when temperatures soar. That combination makes it less ideal to visit. The benefit though, is that sights have the longest opening hours.
In winter, visitor numbers decrease along with the temperature. Be prepared for cold weather and shorter hours for the top sights.
Shoulder season has the best balance between weather and crowds, in my opinion.
I visited in mid October. Temperatures were cool in the morning but warmed up in the afternoon. In general though, I needed my fleece and jacket all day to keep warm. There were a lot of tourists, but I knew it would have been worse in summer. Remember, not only do you have people visiting as part of a larger journey in Europe, but there are loads of visitors visiting via river cruise.
Final Thoughts
Budapest is huge and packed with so many incredible sights. With just one day in Budapest, it’s impossible to see it all. I think if you know and understand this fact before you visit Budapest, you’ll have a much more enjoyable visit to the city. Cram in as much as you can and just know that you’ll likely leave and want to immediately return.
Continue Your Adventure
Budapest: With more time, check out my guide for two days in Budapest. Get around the city effortlessly with my Budapest Transportation Guide.
More in Europe: If you’re already visiting Budapest, consider adding Vienna. Beyond that, Paris is one of my favorites, but Amsterdam can also be fun. For an easy first trip, try visiting London.